BUSINESSES at Oxford Castle will benefit from the opening of the new Westgate Centre, according to a city councillor.

The £440m shopping centre, featuring a flagship John Lewis department store, 100 new shops and 25 restaurants, opened on October 24 and has been busy since.

Now it is expected that the Oxford Castle site off New Road will benefit from an increase in footfall as shoppers stroll over the road.

Westgate Oxford Alliance - Land Securities and the Crown Estate - own the shopping centre and bought the Oxford Castle Quarter from Trevor Osborne for more than £47m last year.

Labour city councillor Colin Cook said the entrance to the Castle site, opposite an entrance to the Westgate Centre, was now much more visible.

He added: "The Norfolk Street/Castle Street entrance to the Westgate Centre is almost directly opposite the entrance to Oxford Castle.

"The two entrances link up very well and I'm sure there will be increased footfall heading into Oxford Castle as a result.

"Now Westgate Oxford Alliance owns owns the Castle site as well as the shopping centre the synergy between the two is very strong and they are working on a strategy with a view to upgrading the Castle site.

"The alliance has always had the idea that it is not just selling Westgate as a retail experience - it is selling the Oxford experience and the Castle site with its history and culture can be part of that.

"When it opened Oxford Castle was originally developed as an opportunity for shops and restaurants but the units all went to restaurants.

"The opportunities for improving Oxford Castle are very strong and I'm sure it will see quite a renaissance."

Mr Cook said he expected Westgate Oxford Alliance to concentrate first on developing the Westgate Centre as only 60 out of 120 units have opened so far.

He added: "It's possible that Westgate Oxford Alliance could start to focus on Oxford Castle by the end of 2018 but hopefully even sooner than that."

The Oxford Preservation Trust has a long lease on part of the site and looks after St George's Tower, the Mound and Oxford Castle Unlocked visitor centre, which is run by Continuum Attractions.

Trust director Debbie Dance said last year that the new Westgate Centre would have a huge impact on the city when it opened.

Oxford Castle was used as a prison from 1785 to 1996 and in 2006 the Castle Quarter, featuring the Malmaison Oxford hotel, restaurants and bars, and Oxford Castle Unlocked education centre, was opened by the Queen.

One business at Oxford Castle, The Swan & Castle pub, has already noticed an increase in footfall as it is opposite the Westgate Centre.